


Other Things with Feathers

by Ael_tRlailiiu



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Birds, F/M, Fluff, Gift Fic, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 11:29:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4099366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ael_tRlailiiu/pseuds/Ael_tRlailiiu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A birthday fic for the wonderful and talented scapeartist! Go read her stuff. </p>
<p>A bird, a downpour, a couple, because this is Once. Things happen again, but different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Other Things with Feathers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scapeartist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scapeartist/gifts).



Emma picked her way through the rocks and around tide pools at the base of the sea-cliff north of Storybrooke. She saw no sign of Killian, and her concern increased until a sound drew her attention upward. “Hook? What the hell are you doing?”

“What does it look like, love?” 

“Like you’re trying to break your neck.” She shaded her eyes and squinted into the overcast, unable to see what he might be after up there. “Are you stuck? You called me down here what, to rescue you?”

“Not me, Swan.” He eased a few inches farther along the ledge, and she finally spotted something moving there, a flutter of wings in a bush that clung to the broken rocks. 

“Seriously, you called me for this? I don’t know anything about birds. I wouldn’t think you did, either.”

“I know this one.” 

Emma opened her mouth, then closed it again. Even with Storybrooke at peace, this wasn’t the weirdest thing to happen this week. She watched him edge closer to the bush, hook wedged in a crack for anchorage. She supposed the bird must be either trapped or hurt, since it didn’t leave the bush.

“You’d better hurry up.” She glanced at the threatening sky.

“Some things can’t be rushed, Swan.” Twenty feet up a cliff face, making soothing noises at a goddamn bird, he managed to make it sound like an innuendo.. 

“It’s gonna start pouring in a minute.” The air felt heavy with water as well as with sea-scent. No wind stirred. 

“Almost there.” He eased closer; a flutter moved the branches, then stopped as he closed his hand around the bird. “There you are.” 

Emma crossed her arms and kept one eye on the sky. A thin drizzle began while Killian retraced his steps downward. He skidded twice on the wet rocks. She winced at the bruise he was going to have on his knee and went to meet him at the base of the cliff. 

“So this is the one, huh? That brought the message?” It didn’t carry anything today, and it looked like any other bird to Emma. 

“Aye.” He cradled the exhausted dove against his body. It did not appear interested in struggling. “It appeared to be in some distress. I thought you might be of assistance.”

“I’ll try.” Emma flexed her hands and wondered if there was anything she ought to know about using magic on birds. The drizzle chose that moment to thicken into a downpour. Cold water snaked down the back of her neck. “Shit!” 

“This way.” Killian kept hold of the dove and nodded toward the headland. “There’s a bit of shelter on the far side.” By the time they found the place, too shallow to be called a cave, they were both soaked to the skin. 

“No wind, so I guess we won’t get any  more  wet, at least. Ugh.” Emma twisted water out of her hair and scrubbed her hands on her damp jeans. “Here, let me take that.” She took the dove carefully and turned her back while he shook himself off. It held still in her hands. “No blood. I wonder if it sprained a wing.” A few moments of magic sufficed for first aid. “Good as new. Off you go.” She opened her hands; the dove blinked at her and didn’t move. “Go on. Shoo?” It remained still. “Or not. I guess this weather isn’t much good for flying.” 

“It’s not a wild creature. Or not all wild, at least; it’s used to humankind.”

“You sure it’s not a transformed human, or anything like that?”

“I don’t think so. I expect it came over along with the curse.” 

The rain kept up. Killian found a flattish rock on which to settle. Emma shrugged and did the same, leaning close to him with the bird still resting in her hands. The outgoing tide lapped at the rocks. 

“You never did tell me how it happened,” she said after a while.

“Sorry?” He leaned closer and wrapped his arm around her, careful not to jostle the dove.

“How you managed to find me. Out of all the blondes in New York City.” Even through two layers of wet leather, she could feel how warm he was. If she ever got up the nerve to sleep with him, they weren’t going to need a blanket. 

“That part was easy, Swan. The portal opened up right outside your door.” 

“And you just hoped that it was mine? Simple as that?”

“Aye. Hope.” He glanced at her with a faint smile. Locks of wet hair lay down his forehead like they were pointing out his eyes. 

“What about before that?” Emma’s mouth twitched in amusement. She let her gaze rest on the nearest tide pool. Seaweed drooped into the water, glossy and dark. “I mean, you don’t just  find someone who has a magic bean these days. Wait, don’t tell me -- hidden colony of giants inside… the earth, which is hollow?” She felt his chuckle more than heard it. 

“Alas no, although that sounds like a splendid quest. Once you’ve been about the lands for a while, you learn a few things. If you’re looking for any sort of magical object near the Enchanted Forest, the Dark One can make it, King Midas can buy it, and Blackbeard can steal it.” 

“You had to go to Blackbeard? Isn’t he the one who... ugh.” She contemplated that meeting with a wince. 

“A bit of gloating to endure was a small enough price.” Killian reached across her and stroked the dove’s head; it burbled, apparently quite happy with its situation now. 

Emma didn’t ask if he missed the ship; she knew that he did and suspected that he would deny it. A borrowed boat might do for a day or a week, but it would never be home. She knew the difference now, the sense of something solid, a place where you belonged. They sat and watched the water, the three of them, and she felt him breathing there next to her. Solid. 

“You’re smiling.” He murmured the words against the side of her neck, raising goose-bumps down her shoulder. 

“Am I? Just thinking about… hope.” We’ll get her back for you, she promised silently, and looked out at the sea again. “Looks like it’s letting up. What are we gonna do with this guy?” She nodded at the dove. “Mom loves birds, okay, but there’s no room in that loft for one more living thing.” 

“I’m sure Granny and I can come to some arrangement.” He slipped his hand around the back of Emma’s neck and brought her closer. 

“You’re gonna keep her?” She tried to muster a suspicious look, difficult when he was so close.  “Is there gonna be squab on the menu?”

“That would be ill payment for a deed well and loyally done. A home can be provided easily enough.” 

“I guess we should--” The suddenly loud drumming of water on rock drowned out her voice. “Or I could be wrong.”

“A rare event, but in this case not entirely lamentable.” Invitation danced in his eyes. 

She could kiss him just once, Emma decided, her hands full of warm feathers, her thoughts of deeds and  arrangements . The motion of his thumb across her cheek, the lazy curl of his tongue against hers, drove cold feet out of her thoughts. She breathed him in, dark and beautiful as the sea, gave back her pounding heart and the shivering warmth in her hands, the hope of enough home for them both, right here. 


End file.
